


Ohana

by redscout



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family Drama, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Other, Trans Character, Trans Grif, Trans Male Character, Trans Simmons, Weddings, adding tags as they become applicable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 17:18:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11536824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redscout/pseuds/redscout
Summary: Dexter Grif was 13 when he first met David Washington, and 15 when he learned David would be staying an awful lot longer than he’d anticipated. He hadn’t grown to like him at all in the two years he’d been around and taken his father out to dinner or to a movie. He thought absolutely nothing of it. He’d be gone by the first month-- and then, when that month passed, the next 6. And when those were over, the year. They always left before the year was up. But David Washington hung around not only for a year, but for an extra year on top of that, and based on what Sarge had told him in the months that followed his birthday, a whole lot longer than that.





	Ohana

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys! im so sorry to post this, because i told myself id be finishing this fic fully before i got it off its knees, but i needed to post this first chapter for the second day of rvb trans week!  
> this is an au i guess we concocted, where sarge adopts the grifs, and marries wash, whose kid is caboose. ages are stated in the fic and later, to come, except for sarge and wash. this isnt meant to be a super shippy thing, so i need to get it out there that this is a Family Shit fic. also, the name is a wip.
> 
> couple disclaimers before we get started:  
> \- first of all, i am not incredibly versed in americas adoption laws, but i have done enough research to hopefully at least capture the essence of it with the vague details i have included.  
> \- i am also not native hawaiian in any capacity, and in the future, if i misuse or overstep cultural bounds in that White Person Way, i take full responsibility and would love to accept constructive criticism on the matter. i am trying not to write stereotypes here.  
> \- thirdly, i am trans, i am a trans writer, and i have projected in this fic onto grif. this is My experience, and it may not ring true for other trans people, please understand that. if it resonates with you in some way, great! if not, im sorry, i might not be the trans writer for you (on the trans issue, i probably will not be deadnaming characters in this fic for personal comfort reasons).  
> \- also, i use the characters' first names a lot, but ill try to throw in last names where i can because i know it can be disorienting.  
> \- and lastly, im going to try to keep the child abuse stuff as vague as i can be because its not my issue to talk or write on, but it is a somewhat important aspect of the story regarding several of the characters, and i once again apologize if any of my writing upsets anybody in any way. that being said, thats all i can think of warning wise right now.
> 
> so, please enjoy! as of today, 7/18/17, i am only going to be posting this first chapter, but leaving kudos and comments will most likely motivate me to continue writing! id like to have it all mapped/written out before i start posting more so i dont write myself into another rut. ill return to my other stuff at some point. anyway! im sorry this introduction is so long, i just wanted to make my intentions clear, this au is very important to me. thanks!

He was 10 when he first met his father. His real father, anyhow, and his sister was 2 and he was still not himself. They don’t bring up his old name anymore, but he goes by Dexter now, and he’s 15, and better, he thinks, at least, and life is withstandable.

He’d only ever called him Sarge, or Dad, because he’d lived 5 years only knowing his last name was Sergeant and that somehow he’d had it in his heart to raise them despite having never been married in his life. It was an odd sort of family dynamic that had taken 5 years to get used to and 5 years to love, and he did love it. 

His old name was the first word associated with this man who would become his father because the woman at his foster home had called him up when Sarge had had his time with his little sister. He loved her more, Dex was certain of that, but he was unwilling to let her be adopted without him by her side. Maybe it was selfish; it wasn’t like it hadn’t crossed his mind. But he wasn’t letting some man he didn’t know touch his 2 year old sister. He’d promised from the moment she was born that he was gonna protect her, with his life.

“Well, I guess that’s that, then,” he’d said after Dexter’s assertion, his voice low and gruff and punctuated by a jovial chuckle that had hardened Dex’s facial expression beyond mistrust. “I can take both of them, if that’s what it takes.”

“Alright then. Let’s get started with the paperwork, and we can talk about the preparation classes.” He wasn’t listening anymore. He was too focused on the fact that they were here, bought and transferred like property, Kaikaina almost too young to understand what was going on. He was almost glad for that aspect of it-- if this worked out, she’d have a dad that (hopefully) would love her and she could live out the rest of her life happy and ignorant of their situation. Dexter carried the burden of knowledge, of the reality that their previous family was broken. The foster home considered him “special needs” because he was native, and had retained some ounce of trauma from his birth home. All it really meant was subsidies. 

And yet, a year and a half later they were living under Sarge’s roof permanently, and he supposed Kaikaina had a real father. Perhaps he did, too.

He was 12 when he first met his real best friend, and he still wasn’t exactly himself and neither was this boy. At this point he’d decided carefully to just adopt the name Grif-- it was his last name and he hadn’t taken Sergeant yet-- because it made sense when his friend only went by Simmons, which was his last name. Their bond had solidified the moment they’d misgendered one another in passing and realized that aspect of themselves was the same. Maybe it was the first time Grif had realized something was wrong with how he felt and how his name felt but knowing Simmons was going through the same confusion brought nothing but comfort.

Every waking moment from then on, for the next year, was spent side by side with this boy. He learned a lot about Simmons from the simple time they’d spent together at school whenever their classes overlapped, and even more when they’d grown close enough to spend days outside of school together. Grif learned he was an avid studier, and a worrywart, and an asshole if he pestered him for too long. Grif also learned that Simmons wasn’t exactly a fan of going home, while they were leaned over their books in the dead of night, pajamas on and serious looks on their faces. He knew why, too, and it made it all the worse to bear. 

Simmons didn’t reveal a large amount about his home life, but Grif wasn’t an idiot, and it also didn’t take a genius to know his dad was evidently abusive. Every time he brought him up it was stuttering and anxiety and playing with his hands in a way Grif didn’t like. He got his hopes up, too, every time he worked up the nerve to ask Sarge to adopt Simmons, so he’d never have to go back to that house, but the answer was always some form of “it’s complicated”, and despite being frustrated, Grif knew it was true. Everything in his life was complicated, and he’d learned to accept it that way.

A year eventually grew to 2 years, which grew to 3 years, another 3 years it’d taken to get used to a family he hadn’t before, and maybe for Simmons to get used to Grif’s family, too. They learned each other’s names by that time as well, and Grif found himself beyond startled when his 15th birthday had rolled around, and Dick Simmons was there, and the name “Dexter” was written (crudely) on the cake, because he was 14 by the time he realised who he really was, and he was still processing the fact that everybody else realised it, too.

Sarge had told him 14 was too big of an age to realise something like that, and then hugged him, and had clarified he meant he was sorry he hadn’t felt comfortable enough to tell him any sooner. Grif wasn’t sure what to do with his arms at the time, so they hung loosely at his sides as his father explained in careful detail that he would attend to whatever needs he could to get and keep him happy, and he would always look out for him.

“No matter what, you’re just my kid,” he’d stated, boldly, like it just made sense, and Grif was astounded that he never could’ve imagined his mom saying that exact sentence. Anger melted away into relief and he finally hugged back, for around the first time in 2 years, and he supposed that was when he caved and let his dad truly be his dad.

Everyone else was no trouble-- Simmons already knew, and Kai took it like it was nothing, just another conversation topic. She was laying on the floor next to him while she colored, just 6, naive enough about gender in the first place, but Grif was still nervous, stuttering out his claim. And she didn’t even look at him when she said “Okay”, and he didn’t even bring it up again after that, because it just made sense to her, too. The boost of confidence the whole situation gave him only made him want to help Simmons, but his friend was adamant about staying closeted until high school, when he could truly assert his independence, and Grif ached the first time Simmons invited him over and he was forced to misgender his best friend the entire time they stood in front of his father. He stood tall and brazen, and Grif could understand why Simmons was so keen on keeping his father proud of him; his figure was domineering and Grif supposed he’d be desperate to keep himself on the good side of Mr. Simmons, too. Mrs. Simmons was a nice woman who only shared the dark skin and darker hair with her son, and she seemed perfectly at ease to stay out of the conversation unless it directly affected her. Something about the air in the house was strange and uncomfortable to Grif, and he didn’t exactly want to go home with Simmons, either. Sarge didn’t question the weekends that Simmons stayed until way late Sunday, and for that, they were both glad. 

The first 10 years of Dexter Grif’s life had been hell, but the 5 afterwards might as well have been his heaven.

He was 15 when he first felt something other than platonic love for his best friend, but that’s not something you can bring up in casual conversation. It had never occurred to him anyway to bring up sexuality even as they entered high school, because it wasn’t a pressing matter. He supposed he’d still liked boys, but he’d never dated any, and he was banking on the fact that Simmons hadn’t either based on the flush he’d get around girls. It was the only secret Grif was ever fine with keeping from him, really, and so it stayed locked away in the back of his mind. It was the only turbulence he’d ever experienced with Simmons, too, despite the fact that it was contained entirely within his head. He felt bad for the distance he caused afterwards, but they got over it. Something else had quickly rose to the occasion to take the place of that anxiety, anyway.

It wasn’t like Sarge hadn’t dated while they lived with him; the Grifs typically took little bets to see when they thought the new man in their house would leave, and leave them all to their own devices again. It was an odd, awful game, Dex had learned after a while, but he was satisfied with their dad, and Sarge had seemed satisfied with just them, too. 

Dex was 13 when he first met David Washington, and 15 when he learned David would be staying an awful lot longer than he’d anticipated. He hadn’t grown to like him at all in the two years he’d been around and taken his father out to dinner or to a movie. He thought absolutely nothing of it. He’d be gone by the first month-- and then, when that month passed, the next 6. And when those were over, the year. They always left before the year was up. But David Washington hung around not only for a year, but for an extra year on top of that, and based on what Sarge had told him in the months that followed his birthday, a whole lot longer than that.

“We’re getting married,” he said simply, Dex and his sister sat on their living room couch while the child of the man holding his father’s hands clutched at his pants like a scared animal. His name was Michael. Dex thought he was annoying.

“When?” was all he could say in response, his facial expression tight. Everyone was looking at him; even his sister.

“Sometime next year, we’re hoping,” David cut in, glancing at Grif’s father-- no, his own _fiancé_ \-- briefly with a smile.

“We have to go?” Dexter asked nonchalantly, and his dad’s face fell.

“Well, yeah, son. It’s our wedding, we want you there to be apart of it.” Sarge looked nervous now, and Dex caught the subtle motion of his hands tightening in his lover’s out of the corner of his eye.

“Uh, okay.” There was a long silence following his last remark, the tension in the air tangible. Dexter was slightly annoyed that his disdain for this man had come off clearer than he’d intended; it was evident everybody in the room knew, but it didn’t daunt him any more than David’s presence in the first place. He huffed out his nose and his dad swallowed ahead of him.

“Yay, wedding!” Kai finally cried, to break the silence, and Dexter got up to leave, pressing on her hand gently as he moved past the adults standing in the archway. He stopped, however, suddenly, only to stare both of them in the face.

“I don’t really need another dad, but thanks, anyway.” He didn’t bother looking back after he officially left, but the air was icy, and he knew Sarge would be mad. It didn’t matter, though; he was being completely serious.


End file.
